OPINION: Her Majesty was humanity in action
Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, reflects on what the Queen meant to Holocaust survivors and all she did to secure their legacies.
Her Majesty The Queen was renowned for her steadfastness, stoicism, grace, humour and of course her devotion to the Nation. I want to pay tribute to just one of her boundless qualities – her humanity.
For Holocaust survivors, the Queen was more than just a monarch. More than a Head of State. More than a figurehead. She was a reminder of how far they had come, a quiet cheerleader for their successful integration into UK society, a leader in ensuring that their stories were known about and remembered.
Holocaust survivor Susan Pollack recalled the Queen telling her to ‘keep going’. So she did. Mala Tribich shared that she had always identified with the Queen – because whatever happened, she never gave in.
I remember seeing that humanity in action.
In 2005 I was honoured to stand among Holocaust survivors at a special reception held by Her Majesty at St James Palace. She greeted each and every survivor, listened to their stories, shook their hands, and showed them such kindness, humanity and affection.
It was at this reception that we were told about another special connection between Her Majesty and the Holocaust. Anne Frank’s childhood friend spoke about how a young Anne collected photos of the then young Princess Elizabeth. They were a similar age. The poignance of that anecdote did not fail to strike us all.
When the Queen visited Belsen in 2015, Gena Turgel said that it brought a tear to her eyes.
I remember Holocaust survivor Gena Turgel – a huge admirer of Her Majesty – being presented to the Queen at her Garden Party in 2015. The Queen remembered Gena’s story, having met her many years earlier and she made sure that Gena felt respected and appreciated for her tireless efforts in sharing that story.
When the Queen visited Belsen in 2015, Gena said that it brought a tear to her eyes.
Of course the Queen met international dignitaries, presided over the Government, and was forever impressing us all with her dignified regal presence. But she also voluntarily joined the armed forces, and for all of her life she showed kindness and respect to war veterans and the survivors they liberated. She helped make them feel welcome, safe, and heard.
So, today, I mourn Her Majesty the leader, the global icon, the unparalleled dignitary, the figurehead. But I also mourn the humanity we have lost, the mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. The young girl whose pictures Anne Frank collected. The young woman who joined the army. The friend to Holocaust survivors.
May her memory be a blessing.
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